Athletic Training 3+2 BSAT/MSAT Program Details

Information for students

The goal of the undergraduate athletic training major is to prepare you to transition into the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education accredited graduate athletic training program.

The MSAT is a concentrated area of study that prepares you to enter the athletic training profession. The athletic training program includes classroom laboratory instruction, and clinical field experiences designed to prepare entry-level certified athletic trainers. Upon completion of the MSAT, you will be awarded both the BSAT and MSAT degrees and are eligible to apply for the Board of Certification, Inc. national examination to become a BOC-certified athletic trainer (ATC).

The 3+2 BSAT/MSAT is structured into three years of undergraduate coursework and two years of graduate coursework in athletic training. This major map lays out the structure of the program.

• You must complete admissions requirements before selection to the MSAT can be completed. Thirty-two students will be selected and admitted annually to the MSAT.
• After being selected, you will complete two years of professional coursework. You cannot enroll in MSAT courses until selected into the MSAT program.
• In addition to the graduate coursework, you will have a variety of clinical education experiences, which may include working with various athletic teams at the collegiate and high school level, physically active individuals in Central Michigan University's recreational facility, physical therapy/fitness clinics, physician offices, and emergency rooms.

You are strongly encouraged to meet with an athletic training faculty advisor to understand the requirements for the undergraduate major and admissions criteria for the graduate athletic training program.

The history of the athletic training program at CMU

Central Michigan University has supported athletic training education since 1972. Due to the work of our founders, Ken Kopke, Ron Sendre, and others, an athletic training minor was approved by the university academic senate in January 1973 and first appeared in the 1973-1974 university bulletin. The Board of Directors of the National Athletic Trainers Association approved this education program on July 23, 1973, leading the way to a long tradition of preparing students to become certified athletic trainers.

As the athletic training profession transformed from a trade to a profession, and curricula and accreditation evolved in the '70s and '80s, so did the education program at CMU. In 1979, the faculty and staff at CMU supported the NATA Professional Education Committee resolution to develop athletic training education programs as academic majors and formulated a 64-hour sports medicine major. As published in the 1981-82 bulletin, CMU was proud to offer students the choice of either a major, known then as the Sports Medicine major or an athletic training minor, as program of study to achieve national certification. In the spring of 1984, the NATA PEC evaluation team conducted a comprehensive on-site visit. CMU's undergraduate sports medicine major (leading to athletic training certification) was the first program in the country evaluated, by the PEC, as an undergraduate academic major.

On June 12, 1984, the NATA Board of Directors continued its approval of CMU's athletic training education programs. Since 1984, many curriculum revisions and accreditation visits have taken place, maintaining the strong tradition of education. Each visit resulted in continuing approval or accreditation of CMU's athletic education programs. The athletic training minor was eliminated in 1989, so faculty and staff could focus their resources and energy on the advancement of the 75-hour athletic training/sports medicine major for the preparation of entry-level certified athletic trainers.

In 2011-2012, CMU began offering a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training, with a single major, Athletic Training. The BSAT is the first degree in athletic training in the state of Michigan. The athletic training program's most recent on-site evaluation occurred in the fall of 2014. In February 2015, the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education awarded CMU's program continuing accreditation with the next comprehensive evaluation scheduled to occur during the 2024-2025 academic year. The Athletic Training Program faculty, staff, and preceptors, as well as the CMU administration, remain committed to excellence for delivering an athletic training program that exceeds the Standards for the Accreditation of Entry-Level Athletic Training Programs adopted by CAATE.

The Central Michigan University athletic training program is a CAATE accredited program that is active in good standing.